LBCSI Teams Shine in Air Force Association CyberPatriot Competition
At the nation’s premier youth cyber defense competition, LBCSI once again proved why the Dons are leaders in cybersecurity education.
The results are in, and Loyola Blakefield’s Cyber Science Initiative (LBCSI) continues to set the standard for excellence in cybersecurity education. Now in its 18th year, the Air Force Association’s CyberPatriot Competition—the nation’s premier youth cyber defense program—challenges students to defend real-world systems against evolving cyber threats. In the 2025 competition, Loyola Blakefield teams delivered another standout performance, earning multiple state-level awards across both middle and high school divisions.
Competing against thousands of teams nationwide, students were tasked with securing operating systems, identifying vulnerabilities, managing user access, and protecting networks under intense time constraints. These scenarios mirror professional cybersecurity environments, requiring not only technical proficiency, but also collaboration, strategic thinking, and disciplined execution. Loyola’s teams rose to the occasion, demonstrating poise and teamwork throughout each round of competition.
More than medals and rankings, Loyola’s performance highlights a growing legacy in cyber education. Each year, students sharpen their problem-solving skills while learning to work under pressure in mission-driven environments. The 2025 results represent another milestone for Loyola Blakefield as it continues to invest in innovation, leadership, and excellence in STEM education.
Congratulations to all of our Loyola Blakefield Cyber Science Initiative teams whose dedication and talent made this year’s success possible. We are proud to recognize the following teams for their outstanding performance in the 2025 CyberPatriot Competition:
High School
Platinum Division – 2nd Place Kai Cooke Connor Counselman Patrick Dishon Matthew Kocorowski JT Nachtman Billy Nicholson
Silver Division – 2nd Place Matthew Allen Blake Dec Will Gaarder Jaxon Mize Cristian Washington Jay Zacharia
Middle School
1st Place
Tommy Desi Carter Halloran Jacob Hart Josh Navari John Talley Henry Zamcheck
2nd Place Jack Bandzwolek Wyatt Doby Lucas Graham Caleb Yates
3rd Place Elliott Czajkowski Liam Hauer John McLaughlin Loic Pooda Landon Rossbach
CyberPatriot is the National Youth Cyber Education Program created by the Air Force Association to inspire K–12 students toward careers in cybersecurity or other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines critical to our nation's future. At the core of the program is the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition, the nation's largest cyber defense competition that puts high school and middle school students in charge of securing virtual networks.